Health
First at-home HPV test approved by FDA, could replace Pap smear
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first at-home screening test for cervical cancer, the product’s maker announced on Friday.
The DIY test could serve as an alternative to in-person “Pap smears,” which are recommended every three years for women up to age 65.
The self-collection device — the Teal Wand, made by Teal Health in San Francisco — allows women to procure a sample and mail it in for laboratory analysis.
NEW CERVICAL CANCER TREATMENT APPROACH COULD REDUCE RISK OF DEATH BY 40%, TRIAL RESULTS SHOW
The test is designed to detect human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that causes almost all cervical cancer cases.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first at-home screening test for cervical cancer, the product’s maker announced on Friday. (iStock)
The approval comes after a clinical trial including more than 600 women, in which the Teal Wand had a 96% accuracy rate of detecting cervical precancers.
In the study, 86% of participants said they’d be more likely to comply with cervical cancer screening recommendations if they could do it at home, Teal Health reported.
Additionally, 94% said they would prefer to self-collect at home as long as the results were accurate.
CERVICAL CANCER DEATHS COULD BE REDUCED WITH HOME HPV TESTING, STUDY FINDS
“Cervical cancer is largely preventable, yet screening rates in the U.S. continue to lag, and the FDA approval of this at-home Teal Wand self-collection device is a critical step forward,” said Dr. Christine Conageski, associate professor, OB-GYN and director of the Complex Dysplasia Clinic at the University of Colorado, who was a principal investigator in the SELF-CERV trial.
“It offers an evidence-based way to expand access without compromising accuracy,” she added in a statement.
“Cervical cancer is largely preventable, yet screening rates in the U.S. continue to lag, and the FDA approval of this at-home Teal Wand self-collection device is a critical step forward,” a doctor said. (iStock)
Approximately 11,500 new cervical cancer diagnoses are made in the U.S. each year, and the disease causes 4,000 annual deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In addition to the cervical cancer risk, some higher-risk incidences of HPV can also cause other types of cancers, according to experts.
“Any type of test that helps detect cervical cancer is a win.”
Women between the ages of 25 and 65 who are at average risk of cervical cancer will soon be able to order the at-home test at www.getteal.com, according to the company’s announcement.
Kits are expected to first become available in California starting in June, with plans to expand across the country “as soon as possible,” the company said in its announcement.
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“Teal is working with major insurance providers and plans to have flexible payment options, helping to remove financial concerns and ensuring more women have access to this preferred at-home screening if they want it,” the company stated.
Approximately 11,500 new cervical cancer diagnoses are made in the U.S. each year, and the disease causes 4,000 annual deaths. (iStock)
In addition to the collection kit, the product also includes a telehealth service with support from medical providers throughout the process.
Women who test positive for HPV will be referred for a traditional Pap smear. Those who do not test positive are not considered at risk of cervical cancer and will not need to screen again for three to five years.
“Some women are scared of a traditional Pap smear or find the process uncomfortable — as a result, they put off this vital test,” said Ami Vaidya M.D., co-chief of gynecologic oncology at Hackensack University Medical Center’s John Theurer Cancer Center, in a press release. (She was not involved in the trial.)
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“This could be an important tool in getting more women regularly screened, especially those who don’t have access to a medical provider. Any type of test that helps detect cervical cancer is a win.”
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Nearsightedness (myopia) is skyrocketing globally, with nearly half of the world’s population expected to be myopic by 2050, according to the World Health Organization.
Heavy use of smartphones and other devices is associated with an 80% higher risk of myopia when combined with excessive computer use, but a new study suggests that dim indoor lighting could also be a factor.
For years, scientists have been puzzled by the different ways myopia is triggered. In lab settings, it can be induced by blurring vision or using different lenses. Conversely, it can be slowed by something as simple as spending time outdoors, research suggests.
Nearsightedness occurs when the eyeball grows too long from front to back, according to the American Optometric Association (AOA). This physical elongation causes light to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it, making distant objects appear blurry.
The study suggests that myopia isn’t caused by the digital devices themselves, but by the low-light environments where they are typically used. (iStock)
Researchers at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry identified a potential specific trigger for this growth. When someone looks at a phone or a book up close, the pupil naturally constricts.
COMMON VISION ISSUE COULD LEAD TO MISSED CANCER WARNING, STUDY FINDS
“In bright outdoor light, the pupil constricts to protect the eye while still allowing ample light to reach the retina,” Urusha Maharjan, a SUNY Optometry doctoral student who conducted the study, said in a press release.
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“When people focus on close objects indoors, such as phones, tablets or books, the pupil can also constrict — not because of brightness, but to sharpen the image,” she went on. “In dim lighting, this combination may significantly reduce retinal illumination.”
High-intensity natural light prevents myopia because it provides enough retinal stimulation to override the “stop growing” signal, even when pupils are constricted. (iStock)
The hypothesis suggests that when the retina is deprived of light during extended close-up work, it sends a signal for the eye to grow.
In a dim environment, the narrowed pupil allows so little light through that the retinal activity isn’t strong enough to signal the eye to stop growing, the researchers found.
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In contrast, being outdoors provides light levels much brighter than indoors. This ensures that even when the pupil narrows to focus on a nearby object, the retina still receives a strong signal, maintaining healthy eye development.
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The team noted some limitations of the study, including the small subject group and the inability to directly measure internal lens changes, as the bright backgrounds used to mimic the outdoors made pupils too small for standard equipment.
Researchers believe that increasing indoor brightness during close-up work could be a simple, testable way to slow the global nearsightedness epidemic. (iStock)
“This is not a final answer,” Jose-Manuel Alonso, MD, PhD, SUNY distinguished professor and senior author of the study, said in the release.
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“But the study offers a testable hypothesis that reframes how visual habits, lighting and eye focusing interact.”
The study was published in the journal Cell Reports.
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Older adults classified as “SuperAgers” generate at least twice as many neurons in the hippocampus than their typical aging peers, a new study has revealed.
These findings, released on Wednesday by the University of Illinois Chicago and Northwestern University, could help explain why SuperAgers have exceptional memory and cognitive resilience even well past 80 years old.
Northwestern has been studying SuperAgers for decades, defining them as “extraordinary individuals aged 80 and above whose memory performance rivals that of people three decades younger.” The researchers use special memory recall tests to make this determination.
In this study, they analyzed post-mortem brain tissue — nearly 356,000 individual cell nuclei — with a focus on the hippocampus, which is essential for forming new memories and supporting learning and spatial navigation.
They compared tissue from SuperAgers, typical older adults, older adults with early dementia/Alzheimer’s and younger healthy adults.
SuperAger Ralph Rehbock sits with his wife in his home. New findings from the University of Illinois Chicago and Northwestern University could help explain why SuperAgers have exceptional memory and cognitive resilience well past 80 years old. (Shane Collins, Northwestern University)
The researchers found that SuperAgers produced at least twice as many new neurons compared to “cognitively normal” older adults and those with Alzheimer’s pathology.
They also found that changes in certain brain support cells (astrocytes) and key memory cells (CA1 neurons) are linked to preserved cognitive ability, helping to keep the brain sharp with age.
ALZHEIMER’S DECLINE COULD SLOW DRAMATICALLY WITH ONE SIMPLE DAILY HABIT, STUDY FINDS
The SuperAgers also had different genetic activity patterns in their brains compared to those in Alzheimer’s disease.
“SuperAgers have more immature neurons and neuroblasts in the hippocampus, which is an indication of stronger neurogenesis when compared with other groups,” study co-author Changiz Geula, research professor of cell and developmental biology and neuroscience at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told Fox News Digital.
Northwestern University study co-author Ivan Ayala examines a SuperAger brain sample on a slide. (Shane Collins, Northwestern University)
“The study also showed that specific cells in the hippocampus show unique gene expression profiles that relate to neuronal function and transmission and are associated with superior cognitive function.”
The findings were published in the journal Nature.
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“We’ve always said that SuperAgers show that the aging brain can be biologically active, adaptable and flexible, but we didn’t know why,” said co-author Tamar Gefen, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a neuropsychologist at Northwestern’s Mesulam Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, in the release.
“This is biological proof that their brains are more plastic, and a real discovery that shows that neurogenesis of young neurons in the hippocampus may be a contributing factor.”
Dr. Tamar Gefen examines a slide of a SuperAger brain. (Shane Collins, Northwestern University)
Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, commented that the study discovered signs of plasticity and regeneration in SuperAgers.
“It confirmed not only preservation of brain tissue in the hippocampus, which is crucial for memory and cognition, but also regeneration and increased development of brain cells in that area,” Siegel, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
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“This is an important study because it may lead to certain cell gene treatments that could lead to more SuperAgers,” the doctor said. “It may also lead to more advanced testing to determine who will be a SuperAger and guide clinical treatment and management.”
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The study did have some limitations, primarily that the research relied on tissue samples taken at one specific point, instead of tracking changes over time.
Brain samples are fixed in blocks of wax so they can be stored and examined. (Shane Collins, Northwestern University)
Geula noted that studies using human brain tissue typically involve fewer cases than animal research, which can be a limitation. However, he emphasized that each case in this study was analyzed thoroughly.
“While these findings are not directly translatable to changes in everyday life and activities, they suggest that cognitive resilience is associated with greater integrity of many brain systems,” he told Fox News Digital. “This implies that attending to brain health is crucial for maintaining cognitive function in old age.”
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“Thus, maintaining good overall health by keeping systemic diseases in check, maintaining a healthy diet and exercise, and ensuring the elderly remain mentally active assume more importance.”
The study was funded by the National Institute on Aging, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.
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